Air compressing machine



W. J. BRIGHTWELL AIR COMPRESSINGMACHINE Feb. 22, 1938.

Filed Oct. 20, 1936 2 Sheets$heet l I Feb. 22, 1938.

w. J. BRIGHTWELL 2,108,958 AIR COMPRESSING MACHINE Filed 001;. 20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 amen MM Patented Feb. 22, 1938 UNITE T GFFHCE Application October 20 2 Claims.

This invention relates to air compressors and has for an object to generally improve the construction of such mechanism and more particularly to improve the mechanism disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,815,828.

Another and important object of the invention is to provide a compressing machine so improved in design that a larger volume of air may be handled at one time and subjected to a high degree of compression, and further so designed that a plurality of compressors are arranged in such a manner and so connected that the necessity of repairing or replacing any one thereof will not require the stopping of the entire machine, thus making it possible to make repairs or replacements without interfering with the action of the machine.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention, as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the machine embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine, the compressed air receiving tank having been removed.

Fig. 3 is a view in longitudinal section through one of the compressor units.

Fig. i is a detail view of the chain designed particularly for connecting the driving and driven elements of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of one of the bearings showing the improved lubricating features thereof.

Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of a form of crank shaft preferred for use in the present machine.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts, the numeral 3 generally designates the supporting frame or bed for the compressors and the driving mechanism associated therewith. This bed is of skeleton construction having a base frame 2, Vertical corner uprights 3, and a top frame 4, which is divided into the two portions 4 and 4 which are joined by the inclined intermediate portions 3. Transversely of the top frame at the rear part of the 1936, Serial No. 106,628

portion 4 is a beam 5, and this beam is connected with the forward end of the top frame by the apertured cylinder supporting bars 6. The numeral '5' designates cylinders of compressor units which are supported by the forward part i of the top frame of the machine bed and which are provided with longitudinally extending side fins 8 which rest upon the supporting bars E and are bolted thereto. Each of the compressor units includes in addition to the cylinder a piston 9 which operates therein, as indicated in Fig. 3, to which is coupled the rearwardly extending connecting rod Ill. The forward end or head of the compressor cylinder is provided with an air outlet aperture H and an inlet aperture l2, and the outlet aperture is encircled upon the outer side of the head by the nipple it, in which is threadably engaged a union M, the outer end of which is enlarged, as indicated at it, to receive an end of a pipe 16 which conducts compressed air from the cylinder l to a receiving tank. hereinafter described. Between the end of the pipe l6 and the union id, is a spider H which carries a sleeve l8 and through this sleeve extends a valve stem 19 which carries the valve head 2t which normally closes the outlet opening l l of the cylinder. The valve is controlled by a spring 2! in the manner illustrated and the stem of the valve is kept lubricated by the provision of a grease or oil cup 22 which is connected by a suitable tube with the interior of the sleeve, as shown in Fig. 3.

Adjacent the union i l of each compressor, a sleeve 23 is secured in alinement with the air inlet aperture 52 and through this sleeve extends the stem 2d of an inlet valve 25. Suitable spring mechanism 25 is employed for maintaining the inlet valve 255 closed in the manner illustrated.

The outer end of each air conducting pipe i6 is joined with a T coupling 21, and these T couplings are joined together by intervening pipe sections 23 so that the air compressed in each of the cylinders is conducted through ,a common communicating line to the pipe 29 which leads to a receiving tank 35 A suitable control valve Si is located in the line between the if, couplings and the tank til, and the tank is provided with safety mechanism which is indicated generally by the numeral 32 and which is illustrated and described in detail in my prior patent previously referred to. The compressed air receiving tank is provided with a gauge 33 to indicate the degree of pressure within the tank and with a leadoff pipe 3 3 by means of which the compressed air may be conducted to points where it may be made use of. Extending transversely of the top frame portion 4 is a crank shaft which'is indicated generally by the numeral 35 and which is provided with a crank 35 for each compressor cylinder l. The side'rails of this portion 4 of the top frame have secured thereto bearing caps ill) 31 which engage over the adjacent ends of the crank shaft 35 and maintain the same in place in the bearing recesses 3% which are formed in theframe rail. Each of these bearing caps 31 is bolted to the adjacent frame rail, as illustrated and each cap is provided with a chamber 39 which opens through its inner side toward the shaft so that grease may be packed into this chamber and will be constantly fed therefrom to the shaft. The enclosed end of the shaft will thus be kept well lubricated and dust and dirt will be prevented from getting into the lubricant and damaging the bearing surfaces.

In addition to the bearings 31 at the ends of the crank shaft, there is employed a bearing 40 at the central part thereof which is supported upon a suitable standard 4!] or in any other suitable manner. This bearing 48 is constructed like the bearing illustrated in detail in Fig. 5, in that it has a grease chamber to constantly supply lubricant to the shaft. The rear end of each of the connecting rods if of the compressor cylinders is coupled in the usual manner with a crank 33, the coupling being indicated by the numeral 4! and each of the couplings is provided with a grease cup 42 by means of which the connection between the connecting rod and the crank may be constantly lubricated.

Extending transversely of the portion 4 of the top frame of the machine bed is a bearing shaft 43, the ends of which are supported in bearings 44 mounted upon the side rails of the top frame rearwardly of the bearings 3?. These bearings 44, while not illustrated in detail, are of the same construction as the bearings 31 and 4G. Upon each end of the shaft 43 is a sprocket wheel 45, and each end of the crank shaft 35 upon the outer side of the adjacent bearing 3? carries a sprocket wheel 46. These wheels 45 and 46 are connected by sprocket chains 4?.

At the central part of the shaft 43 there is secured a sprocket wheel 48 over which is passed the chain 43 which is coupled with any'suitable source of power so that the necessary motion can be transmitted through the wheel 48 to the shaft 43 and through the other mechanism to the air compressing pistons 5. Each of the several sprocket wheels is coupled with the shaft upon which it is mounted by a key of the nature illustrated in Fig. 2. This key which is indicated by the numeral 59 seats in a groove in the shaft and engages in a corresponding groove in the encircling hub of the adjacent wall, in the usual manner.

As will beseen from Fig. l, the lowered forward part 4 of the top frame 4 of the machine bed places the cylinders 1 so that their longitudinal centers will bein the horizontal plane of the center of the crank shaft 35 and by this -rneans an easier and smoother operation of the compressors is obtained. a

The numeral indicates a flanged union and agasket in one of the connecting pipes [6 between the compressor and the line leading to the tank or reservoir 38. These flanged couplings permit of the ready division of the pipes l6 so that the cylinders coupled therewith may be re moved for repairs or replacements'without in terfering with the operation of the other compressor units.

Fig. 4 illustrates in detail the construction of the sprocket chains which it is preferred touse in connection with this machine. As shown the chain consists of a series of sections each of which is made up of the two spaced parallel links 52 between the ends of which is a cylindrical sleeve 53, and passing through this sleeve and through the adjacent ends of the links 52 is a bolt or pin 54. As illustrated the ends of the adjacent links of each section are in overlapping relation and the bolts 54 join these overlapped ends of the alined link sections together. Thus the cylinders or sleeves 53 in addition to serving as a means of keeping the ends of the links separated, operate in the nature of roller bearings so as to make the engagement of the chains From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that power applied to the shaft 43 through the medium of the chain 49 from any suitable source will be transmitted by the chains 4'! to the two ends'of the crank sha t 35 so that the pistons of all of the compressor units will be simultaneously actuated and the air which is drawn in thru the intake valves will be expelled under pressure thru the valves 20 and will pass thru the pipe line 29 into the reservoir where it will be stored until ready for use. Bythe provision of the several compressor units in the manner illustrated and described, it will be obvious that if any one of the units gets out of order, it may be disconnected from the rest of the machine by detaching the connecting rod l0 thereof from the crank shaft and the machine continued in operation while the damaged unit is being repaired or replaced. Thus the operation of the machine can be made continuous even though portions of the same may get out of order. a

The numeral 55 designates lugs forming a part of the lower frame of the machine bed, by means of which the machine may be bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the supporting floor.

Each of the lines 15 which couples a cylinder '1 with the pipe line 29 is provided with a valve 56 by means of which any one of the cylinders may be segregated from the rest in the event.

that repair of the same becomes necessary, and the remaining cylinders. may be continued in operation and at the same time loss of compressed air from the pipe line back through the shut-off cylinder will be prevented. The crank shaft which is illustrated in detail in Fig. 6 is preferably of the type employed in internal combustion engines so that the operation of the cylinder pistons will be smooth and the vibration of the machine reduced to a minimum.

What is claimed, is: i

1. A compressor machine, comprising a base having a plurality of spaced parallel bars, a plurality of compressor units each including a piston, a cylinder housing the piston, a connecting with the reservoir, each of said lead-off pipes having an outwardly opening valve controlling the flow of air from the cylinder into the leadofi pipe, and power means coupled withisaid connecting rods for efiecting simultaneous reciprocation of the same.

2. A compressor machine, comprising a base having a horizontal top frame which is divided in two portions, one of which is disposed at a lower elevation than the other, a transverse bar mounted between the sides of the frame in that portion thereof which is at a lower elevation and in spaced parallel relation with the adjacent end of the frame, a plurality of spaced parallel supporting bars lying between said transverse bar and the said end of the frame and paralleling the sides of the frame, a plurality of cylinders each disposed between a pair of supporting bars,

a pair of fin members extending longitudinally of each cylinder on opposite sides thereof and resting upon and secured to a supporting bar, each of the supporting bars between the sides of the frame-supporting two fins, a piston in each cylinder, a connecting rod coupled with each piston and extending rearwardly from the adjacent cylinder, a crank shaft mounted to extend transversely of said frame over the portion thereof which is at the highest elevation, said crank shaft lying in the same horizontal plane as the longitudinal centers of the cylinders, valved air lead-01f pipes for the cylinders, a compressed air reservoir connected with said pipes, and means for transmitting power to said crank shaft to rotate the latter.

WALTER J. BRIGHTWELL. 

